


May I Have This Dance?

by thylekshran



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: F/F, High School AU, secret santa gift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 06:43:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13094592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thylekshran/pseuds/thylekshran
Summary: Jadzia asks Nerys to the homecoming dance.





	May I Have This Dance?

**Author's Note:**

> A gift for @glockenspockenspiel on Tumblr, who requested a KiraDax high school AU with angst and/or fluff. I went for a little of both, I hope you like it!

“Nerys, it seems obvious to me that she’s quite taken with you,” Odo said, in his usual drawl. “I half expect her to walk up at any minute to plant a kiss on you.”

Nerys slammed her locker shut, a little harder than she meant to, startling several people nearby. Odo remained unphased. “Odo, for the last time, Jadzia does not have a crush on me. She could have anyone, literally anyone in school, there’s no reason she’d be chasing me.”

“She offered to tutor you in chemistry.”

Nerys blushed. “So she knows I’m terrible at science, I’m sure that’s doing me lots of favors.”

“She went over to your house at least once a week all semester.”

“For a class project!”

“She showed up to your basketball game with a big sign to support you. It had hearts on it.”

“She’s one of my best friends! That’s normal!”

Odo shrugged. “Suit yourself. But you’re not allowed to use me as an excuse if she asks you to Homecoming, I already got asked. If you can call that gaudy performance a Homecoming proposal,” he added with a scoff. “It was practically a Broadway show.”

“You’re going with Quark?”

“May as well.”

“I cannot believe you, Odo. You only agreed to that to back me into a corner!”

Odo shrugged again, but he was smirking, the bastard. Nerys sulked all the way to class.

\--

Jadzia flopped down dramatically next to Ben and Kasidy at the lunch table. “Benjamin,” she whined.

“Kira turn you down again?”

“This usually works, I don’t know I’m doing wrong!” She threw her hands up in defeat. “I’m just embarrassing myself at this point.”

“I think it’s sweet,” Kasidy said. “I’d be putty in your hands by now.” She winked, and Jadzia grinned back.

“Better watch out, Ben, If Nerys isn’t interested I might make a move on Kasidy instead.”

Ben chuckled and planted a kiss on Kasidy’s cheek. “I’d like to see you try.”

“I really thought she was into me,” Jadzia said, frowning as she returned to her previous train of thought. “She is gay, isn’t she?”

“Julian and Miles said she took one of the LGBT club fliers they were passing around. Maybe she’s just not out yet?” Kasidy smiled reassuringly. “You’re a talented girl, Jadzia. You’ll find someone, even if it’s not Nerys.”

She sighed and propped her chin up on her hands. “You think Leeta would go to to Homecoming with me?”

\--

Jadzia finally found Nerys in one of the halls by the gym, eating lunch by herself and gazing into the middle distance. “Well, this is it,” she mumbled to herself. “The moment of truth.”

Nerys noticed her approaching and turned her head with a radiant smile that crinkled her nose and shone from her eyes. Jadzia’s ears went red. “Hey! I didn’t think you had this lunch period!”

She waved her hall pass with a smirk. “I don’t, officially.”

“What are you doing all the way over here then? Avoiding class? You’ll lose your reputation as the teacher’s pet,” Nerys teased. Jadzia helped her to her feet and they embraced. Nerys’s hugs were hard to earn, but they were strong and warm and made Jadzia feel like nothing could ever hurt her. When Nerys finally let go, Jadzia quickly grabbed her hands.

“What I’m doing here is asking you to Homecoming,” she said.

Nerys froze, and when she spoke, it was with no small amount of hesitation. “I don’t like football.”

“I’m asking you to the dance, Nerys.”

The silence dragged on for too long.

“If you’ll have me.” Jadzia was feeling increasingly nervous about her chances. “I’ve wanted to ask you out for ages, I just-”

“Yes!” Kira interrupted her loudly, then looked sheepish. “Yes, I want to go to Homecoming with you.”

“Really?” Jadzia breathed a sigh of relief. She was almost sure Nerys was going to say no.

“Yeah, I’d really like that.”

She called Ben on her way back to class and cried with joy.

\--

Nerys stared at herself in the mirror. The dress looked so wrong on her stocky frame that she wanted to cry. She wasn’t born to be beautiful like Keiko, or Ezri, or Jadzia, and she didn’t know why she thought she could go to this dance. She’d kept herself relatively safe since she transferred here by staying out of sight, but once she was seen with another girl - and Jadzia no less, who everyone wanted - there would be no hiding. The tormenting laughs of her childhood bullies echoed in her mind, and she turned away from her reflection.

“I’m sorry, Jadzia,” she said, tears choking her words into a whisper. “You deserve someone who isn’t scared to be by your side.”

She was too tired to take the dress off, and collapsed onto her bed.

\--

The dance was in full swing, and there was no sign of Nerys. Jadzia had distracted herself for a while, but the melancholy of being stood up was settling in as the first slow dance of the night played.

Loneliness gripped her heart. Since Lenara left she hasn't felt as close to anyone until Nerys transferred in. “I guess she doesn't feel the same,” she sighed to herself.

“Dax,” Ben’s voice beside her made her jump. “Do you know that for sure? Find her and ask. Don't let your assumptions ruin a good thing.”

Keiko and Kasidy twirled up behind him. “Go get her, Jadzia!” Kasidy said. From the dance floor, Miles and Julian gave her a thumbs up.

“Nerys is shy,” Keiko reminded her gently, placing a hand on her arm. “I’d bet anything she isn't trying to hurt you.”

Jadzia nodded slowly, and Ben grinned. “Need a ride?”

They peeled out of the parking lot in his van, windows down and crisp autumn air blowing through their hair. Julian and Miles cheered loudly as they took a turn just a little too fast, Keiko grabbing Jadzia by the shoulder to stay steady and shrieking in delight. Kasidy turned the music up and they barrelled towards Nerys’s house. Jadzia had never been more thankful for her found family and their boundless support. Even if she ended up with no date tonight, she wouldn't be alone.

When they arrived, she was practically pushed up to the porch by Keiko and Miles. Julian sprinted ahead and knocked on the door before anyone else had a chance, then stood, bouncing on his toes. “Hurry, Jadzia!”

“Julian,” she said, admonishingly, but just then Nerys’s dad opened the door.

“Oh, hello Jadzia! Hello everyone!” He smiled, with concern in his eyebrows. “I’m glad to see you. Nerys won’t come downstairs.”

“Leave it to us, sir!” Julian piped up, but Ben put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

“Let’s let Jadzia handle this one.”

“Please,” Nerys’s dad stepped aside to let Jadzia in, then gestured to the stairs.

She climbed them two at a time and knocked on the closed bedroom door. “Nerys?”

“Jadzia…?” The door opened just a crack and she peeked through it. “Look, I appreciate that you want to include me, but I’m good, honestly.”

Her voice was gruff and dismissive, but there was an insecurity to it. “Nerys, please. May I come in?”

She made a vague noise of agreement and moved away. Jadzia entered the room and nearly had the wind knocked out of her by the sight of Nerys in her dress. She was so beautiful that it took Jadzia a moment to compose words again. “You look stunning.”

She chewed her lip. “Thanks.”

They stood in silence at a distance and Jadzia couldn’t bear it.

“If you don't like me-”

“I do! I’m just not ready… I’m not ready for everyone to know.” She refused to make eye contact, and moved further out of reach. “And you should be with someone who can go out in public with you. Someone brave.”

“If I wanted someone else, I would have asked them.” Jadzia followed Nerys to the window and cupped her face in her hand. “We can have our own dance right here.”

Nerys leaned up and kissed her. It was surprising and Jadzia had to grab her tightly to keep herself on her feet, overwhelmed with emotion. The moment was cut short by muffled cheers, and they looked out the window to see the whole gang hooting up at them. Jadzia grinned and waved. Nerys flipped them off, but she was laughing.

Tears of joy started to well up in the corners of Nerys’s eyes, so Jadzia kissed them away. “May I have this dance, then?”

“You can have them all.”


End file.
